Golf yardage registering device



Sept. 21, 1943. 1.. L. KING GOLF YARDAGE REGISTERING DEVICE Filed Dec.4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II In.

Lacy m Sept. 21, 1943. L. KING 2,329,992

GOLF YARDAGE REGISTERING DEVICE File d Dec. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1Jim; ill [/1],

Patented Sept. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES P TENT orncc 2,329,992 GOLFYARDAGE' REGISTERING DEVICE Lacy L. King, Tulsa, Okla; Q. I ApplicationDecember 4. 1941, ste m. 421,653 A 3 Claims... (crass-21') Thisinvention relates to a device for registering or indicating theapproximate distance a golf ball would have traveled if the flight ofsaid ball were not arrested by the device.

Briefly described, the present invention relates to that type of devicein which a yieldable target is provided against which the golf ball maybe driven, said target being so arranged that the impact of the balldriven against the same will operate a distance indicating means.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a deviceof the above kind which is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, and highly efficient in use.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,shown in said drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a golf yardage indicating deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in top plan and partlyin section, showing the preferred manner of mounting the target forhorizontal movement.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view showing details of the indicatingmeans.

line 5 -4-5 Figure '7 is a horizontal section on line I -I of Figure 10is a wiring diagram showing the.

manner of wiring the parts of Figure 6 to the indicating lights.

. Figure 11 isa view similar to Figure 10, with parts omitted,illustrating the parts in a different position, and I Figure 12 is aview similar to Figure 11 with the parts in a still further position. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present device includes aball-receiving funnel which may consist of a suitable frame 5 having thesides and top covered. with sheets of canvas 6. The ball-receivingfunnel is open at the back or smaller end, and disposed directly behindthis open end-of the funnel is a'target consisting of a vertical "frameI having a sheet of canvas stretched-'thereover, the frame I beingdisposed at the front of a horizontally movable carrier frame 9 mountedfor free movement in a base frame I0 and normally yielding urgedforwardly by a spring I I. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, ball or antifriction'bearings I2 are providedbetween the sides of the carrierframe 9 andthe base frame IIi so as to promote the ease of movement of;the target.Disposed upon the floor or ground infront of the funnel 5, 6 is aball-catching mat consisting of a strip of canvas I3 laid acrosstransversely arranged spaced cleats or rails I4 disposed upon the groundor floor. At the forward' end of this mat is arranged a suitableplatform I5 having ameans'fortee-ing a golf ball I6 thereonin positionto be struck anddriven into the funnel sov asto strike the target. Byarranging the strip of canvas I3 across the cleats or bars I4, the stripof canvasis provided with valleys or depressions, transversely ofthe matwhich will aid in catching or arresting the travel of the golf ballafter it rebounds from the target forwardly out of the funnel.

'Refgistering or indicating means is associated with thetarget 1 forshowing the approximate distance, in yards, that the golf ball wouldhave traveled if the flight of said ball were not arrested by the targetof the present device. This means consists of certain. elements arrangedupon a base plate I I of a casing I8 (see Figs..6 and 2),; andcontrolling the lighting of yardage. indicating lights I9 ,(Fig lO)arranged within the respective compartments of an indicating lampi '20preferably mounted at the top of the funnel "5, 6. As shown, the lightcontrolling means includes a contact lever 2i, pivoted intermediate itsends as at 22 upon the base plate I1, and having its outer end arrangedto successfully engagean arcu ateseries of contacts 23 connected bywires 24 to one contact of each of the respective indicating lights I9;The contact lever 2 I is in turn connected by wire 25 with one side of asource of electricity, and a tension spring 26 normally yieldinglyswings the lever 2I to the initial. position ofFigure 6 to one side ofthe s eries of contacts 23. The casing I I, I8 is arranged, and set, inplace within the carrier frameifinpon .a suitable support, and behindthe target-I, 8. Extending forwardly from the casmg] [1,, l8 isa plunger21 whose forward end is connected to thetarget so as to be movabletherewithftherear portion of plunger at being sliq 35 fixed upon theguide block 28.

movement of slide 3| is limited by a transverse.

ably guided in a block 28 mounted upon the base plate IT. The rearportion of plunger 21 has an upstanding rib provided with a rearwardlydirected arm 29 having spaced depending lugs 30 between which isslidably guided a horizontal slide 31 of insulating material. Normallyengaged spring contacts 32 and 33 are carried by said rib and extendrearwardly beneath the arm 29 in position to have the forward end ofinsulating slide 3| pass between the ends thereof when said slide 3| isurged forwardly. Contact 33 has an extension 34 projecting forwardly andarranged to slidably engage a further contact Rearward pin 36 engageablewith one of the guide lugs 30, and this pin 36 is also arranged in thepath of a pin 31 projecting upwardly from the guide block 28. Thearrangement is such that when the plunger 2? is forced rearwardly, theslide 3| will engage a pin 38 risingfrom the contact lever 2|, therebyforcing the slide 3| forwardly between the contacts 32 and 33 as shownin Figure 11. Also, when the plunger 21 moves forwardly so that theslide 3| disengages from pin 38, the pin 33 will engage pin3'l andcauserearward shifting of slide 3| from between the ends of contacts 32and 33 as shown in Figure 12. In the normal forward position of plunger21, the engaging end of contact 34 is disposed forwardly of contact 35and out of engagement with the latter as shown in Figure 10.

, Contact 32 is connected by a wire 3311 with one side of the source ofelectricity or that side opposite which the wire 25 connects and towhich the remaining sides of lamps I9 are connected by means of a wire39. The second named side of the source of current is connected by wire40 to oneside of a solenoid coil 4| whose other side is connected bywire 42 with the contact 35. A plunger 43 of the solenoid coil 4| isconnected by a link 44 with the free end of a ratchet segment 45 pivotedat its other end as at 46 to the base plate ii and having ratchet teeth41 on its inner edge arranged to be successively engaged by the adjacentshorter end of contact lever 2|. The core or plunger 43 of the solenoidcoil 4| is normally yieldingly projected so as to swing the segment 45toward the adjacent end of contact lever 2|.

In. operation, the parts will be set normally as shown in Figures 6 and10, the slide 3| being.

disengaged from between the contacts 32 and 33; the contact 34 beingdisengaged from contact 35, and pin 38 of contact lever 2| being engagedwith the adjacent end of slide 3|. carried by plunger rod'27. When thegolf ball I6 is driven intotl'ie funnel and, against the target, theim-- pact of the ball against said target causes rearward movement ofthe latter and corresponding rearward movement of plunger rod 21. As pin36 leaves pin 31, lide 3| is forced forwardly between the contacts 32and 33 as shown in Figure 11, thereby breaking the circuit of thesolenoid coil 4| so that the latter will not be operated even though thecontact 34 engages contact 35 during the rearward movement ofplunger rod21. During this rearward movement of plunger rod 21, the contact lever2| is swung to. the left for a distance corresponding to the impactagainst the target, and when rearward movement of plunger 21 ceases andforward swinging move-. ment of contact lever 2| also ceases, saidcntact lever 2| will be maintained in its furtherest swung position byengagement of the ratchet segment 45 therewith. The light in circuitwith the contact finally engaged by the lever 2| will remain lighted andwill give an indication as to the approximate distance the golf ballwould have traveled if the flight of said ball had not been arrested bythe target. This distance can be denoted in yards on the lens of thelight compartment, the successive lights being suitably graduated inyards. As soon as the ball leaves the target, the latter will return toits forward normal position as shown in Figure 12, leaving the contactlever 2| in its shifted position and finally causing movement of theslide 3| from between the contacts 32 and 33 by engagement of pin 3Bwithpin 37 as shown in said Figure 12. When another ball is driven againstthe target, the rearward movement of plunger rod 21 will causeengagement of contact 34 with contact 35 before the contacts 32 and 33are separated by forward movement of slide 3| to its engagement withcontact lever 2|. Thus, solenoid coil 4| will be momentarily energizedso as to retract its core or plunger 43 and momentarily release theratchet segment 45 from said contact lever 2| so that the latter will beautomatically returned toward normal position by spring 26, if theplunger 21 is not driven rearwardly sufliciently far to cause furtherforward swinging of said lever 2|, but is only driven rearwardly alesser distance than previously driven. Thus, a proper yardageindication will be had under the circumstances and particularly if thetravel indication is less than a previous travel indication in whichthecontact lever 2| has been left. As soon as contact lever 2| engagesslide 3| and forces it forwardly, the contacts 32 and 33 will beseparated to break the circuit of the solenoid coil 4| and permit thesegment 45 to promptly engage the adjacent end of the lever 2| again.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as well as the advantages of the present. invention will bereadily appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art. Minorchanges are contemplated in the details of construction illustrated anddescribed. such as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A golf yardage registering device comprising a funnel adapted toguide a golf ball, a rearwardly yieldable target arranged at the rear ofsaid funnel for arresting the flight of said golf ball, and meansoperative in conjunction with said target for indicating the distance ofan uninterrupted flight of the golf ball, means yieldingly urging saidtarget forwardly toward the funnel, said indicating means including aplunger attached to and extending rearwardly from the target, a contactlever operable by said plunger, a plurality of contact points inoperable relation with said contact lever for-completing electriccircuits when said contact lever isswung by said plunger, a ratchetsegmentyieldingly engaging said contact lever to releasdbl'y retain thesame in any position to which it is swung by said plunger, a solenoidconnected to said ratchet segment and operable for releasing the latterfrom said contact lever, and switch means operable upon rearwardmovement of said plunger for closing the circuit of said solenoid'toreleascsaid ratchet segment.

2. A golf yardage registeringdevice comprising a funnel adapted to guidea golf ball, a rearwardly yieldable target arranged at the rear of saidfunnel for arresting the flight of said golf ball, and means operativein conjunction with said target for indicating the distance of anuninterrupted fiight of the golf ball, means yieldingly urging saidtarget forwardly toward the funnel, said indicating means including aplunger attached to and extending rearwardly from the target, a contactlever operable by said plunger, a plurality of contact points inoperable relation with said contact lever for completing electriccircuits when said contact lever'is swung by said plunger, a ratchetsegment yieldingly engaging said contact lever to releasably retain thesame in any position to which it is swung by said plunger, a solenoidconnected to said ratchet segment and operable for releasing the latterfrom said contact lever, switch means operable upon rearward movement ofsaid plunger for closing the circuit of said solenoid to release saidratchet segment, and further switch means operable upon continuedrearward movement of said plunger for breaking the circuit of saidsolenoid and permitting retention of the contact lever in the positionto which it is fully swung by means of said ratchet segment.

3. A golf yardage registering device comprising a funnel adapted toguide a golf ball, a rearwardly yieldable target arranged at the rear ofsaid funnel for arresting the flight of said golf ball, and meansoperative in conjunction with said target for indicating the distance ofan uninterrupted flight of the golf ball, means yieldingly urging saidtarget forwardly toward the funnel, said indicating means including aplunger attached to and extending rearwardly from the target, a contactlever operable by said plunger, a plurality of contact points inoperable relation with said contact lever for completing electriccircuits when said contact lever is swung by said plunger, a ratchetsegment yieldingly engaging said contact lever to releasably retain thesame in any position to which it is swung by said to which it is fullyswung by means of said ratchet segment, said last named switch meanscomprising normally engaged contacts, a slide arranged in the path ofand operable by the contact lever for separating said normally engagedcontacts upon rearward movement of the plunger, and stop means to limitmovement of said slide by said contact lever to permit engagement ofsaid normally engaged contacts with each other upon return of theplunger to its forward position.

LACY L. KING.

